The Lizzie McGuire Story
by SoulfullyInclined
Summary: I don't own anyone. *Please Review.*
1. Chapter 1

It was 7 p.m. dark outside. David, Kate, my younger sister Melissa and I were all having dinner - cheese pizza - at my place, on the white sofas in the lit, white living room. It had been a long day, starting with ballet at 4 a.m., school from 8 - 3, cheerleading from 3 - 4 and then ballet again from 5 - 7. Kate and I went to both, as did Melissa, and gymnastics. Mom, as usual, was at work. Claire and her 2 sisters, Miranda, her mom and her sisters and Matt had moved to New York; Matt was still in rehab there. About a year ago my dad had died.

Kate, David, Miranda and I were 17: Matt's 15, and Melissa's 13.

"It's been a long day," David said.

"Yes, yes it has," Kate returned.

I noticed a line of light blue bruises on Melissa's left arm.

"Melissa?" I asked.

"Hm?" she asked.

"Did something happen?"

"Oh, no. I don't know how these got here."

"You don't bruise easily," David observed.

"No, no I don't."

"Do they hurt?"

"No, I've........I've just been really tired lately, moreso than usual."

"Oh. How's gymnastics?" Kate asked.

"Hard."

At that moment Mom walked in, putting her long black wool coat in the coat close that was in the hall. We turned to her.

"Hi," David said.

"Hi."

She came over, smelling of smoke. During the day she worked as a secertary and in an office and at night she was a waitress and bartender.

She grabbed a slice of pizza out of the white cardboard box which was on the coffee table in front of us.

"Hi, I actually can't stay- Melissa, what happened to your arm?" Mom asked.

"I don't know how these got here."

"Oh. Did something happen at school?"

"No."

"Oh. Do they hurt?"

"No."

"Well, I have to get ready for bartending. I'll be out late tonight. Kate, you can stay."

Mom stood up and went upstairs. Kate smiled.

"Wow," Kate said.

"She doesn't stay long," I informed her.

"Yeah I know."

"Oh."


	2. Chapter 2

It was several hours later, 10 p.m. when I was awoken by Kate summoning me. It was dark in my room.

"Lizzie!" she called from the bathroom down the hall.

I sat up and sleepily made my way down the carpeted hall and to the lit white bathroom.

"What?" I asked.

There was Melissa, bent forwards over the toilet, sick. Kate was holding her light brown hair back. Far as I knew, Melissa didn't drink, do drugs, have an eating disorder or was in any other way sick.

"Your mom still out?" Kate asked.

"Yeah."

I nodded.

"How long she been like this?" I asked.

"The past hour."

"Oh."

"She's been bleeding, for the past 20 minutes."

Oh god.

I knew Melissa occassionally cut, as did Kate and I, but the blood dried quickly when either of us did.

"We need to get her to the hospital."

"I'll call David," I said.

I went back to my room and pulled out my cell, calling David, who drove, as opposed to Kate and I, who didn't.


	3. Chapter 3

When Kate, David, Melissa, Linda and Tom, Davids parents, got to the hospital they signed her in to the emergency room, which was crowded and brightly lit. We sat down and waited.

"Your mom still working?" Linda asked.

I nodded: "yeah."

"Shouldn't she be here when her own daughter's been taken to the hospital?" Kate asked.

"Yeah well you'd think so."

Melissa, who was holding tissues over her nose, nodded.

"Be careful," David told her.

If she moved any more she might bleed more.

I noticed several more bruises on her arms.

Tom looked at the nurse at the large round desk, who'd summoned him.

He stood.

"Kate," he said, looking at her.

"Ok."

She stood as well, and they went to the nurse.

I knew Tom wanted Kate there to give them more information.

"Anyone want anything to drink? I'm going to the cafeteria," Linda asked, standing.

"Maybe. Let us know what they have," David told her.

"Ok."

Linda went to the desk and told Kate and Tom this.

She left, and they sat back down.

"They said they'd run a series of tests, which may take awhile," Tom told us.

"Ok," I said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Melissa**

A nurse came into the waiting area.

"Melissa," she said.

I looked at her: "yes?"

"Why don't you come with me?"

"Ok."

I stood and followed her down the white hall.

"This the first time this happened, the bleeding?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"You're how old?"

"13."

"Ok, got your first period?"

"Yeah."

"And your parents are...?.."

"Josephine and Brian. They don't live together."

"Oh, seperated?"

She lifted a sheet on her clipboard.

"Physically yes but not legally. My dad's in New York, with my older brother Matt," I answered.

"Who's at an institution for drug abuse."

"Um. Yes."

We'd arrived at the end of the hall where there was a doctor's scale.

"Step on the scale please," she told me.

I stepped on it and she adjusted the black metal numbers.

"Mmmhmm, ok," she muttered, writing the number down.

"Step down and follow me."

We turned left and went down another hall.

"Your sister's Elizabeth."

"Yes," I confirmed.

"You've lost 10 pounds."

"Why? I eat well."

"I don't know. Do you or have you ever had an eating disorder?"

"No."

"Ok. What I'm going to do is test your blood."

"Ok."

"So we can find out what the problem is."

"Um. Ok."

I swallowed, worried about her seeing my cuts.

"Yes?" she asked, pausing and looking at me.

"You should know that I have a few cuts on my..."

She smiled; "it's ok. A lot of young women your age do dear. I'm Charlotte, by the way."


End file.
